As we conclude another remarkable year, I am filled with pride and gratitude for all we have accomplished together. Our School thrives because of its greatest asset: our people. From faculty and staff to students and alumni, your dedication and excellence fuel our success.
A Year of Growth and Excellence
This year, we expanded our community, welcoming exceptional new faculty across all ranks and adding talented staff who bolster the support system that enables our success. In leadership, we welcomed Professor Jane Grande-Allen as Associate Dean for Faculty Development and celebrated new departmental chairs: Professors Karen Lozano (MSNE), Cynthia Reinhart-King (BIOE), and Ashok Veeraraghavan (ECE). I extend heartfelt thanks to Professors Pulickel Ajayan, Gang Bao, and Ashu Sabharwal for their service and leadership during their terms as chairs.
Our school delivered world-class education through faculty and exceptional programs like the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, the Data-to-Knowledge Lab, the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership, and the Activate Engineering Communication Program. Highlights include an undergraduate team winning the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge for developing a urological care device and Rice Eclipse, our student rocketry team, taking the top prize at the 2024 Spaceport America Cup. Faculty secured a $3M NSF grant for quantum technology innovation training, while the Tapia STEM Camps introduced hundreds of high school students to STEM careers. We also launched the Master of Energy Transition and Sustainability with the School of Natural Sciences, underscoring our commitment to addressing global challenges. These efforts, and more, earned several faculty prestigious Rice University teaching awards in 2024.
Our research enterprise achieved new heights, securing approximately $150M in funding—the largest in our School’s history. Faculty launched multiple startups and played key roles in establishing the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, which expands Houston’s biotech capabilities and fosters medical innovations. Other notable faculty achievements include the induction of a faculty member into the National Academy of Sciences, two new fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and honors such as the Blaise Pascal Medal in Engineering, the TAMEST O’Donnell Award, and the Norman Hackerman Award. Our faculty also received numerous fellowships from professional societies and several young investigator awards.
Our School played an integral role in Rice’s global initiatives, with significant contributions from faculty at the Rice Global Paris and Rice Global India centers, and impactful research and educational programs spanning Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The Mehta Rice Engineering Scholars Program successfully concluded its inaugural cohort and welcomed its second, further enhancing opportunities for promising students from India.
Lastly, 2024 marked a historic milestone with the renaming of our School as the School of Engineering and Computing. In a time when institutions are debating whether computing belongs within engineering, science, or as a standalone field, we reaffirmed its intrinsic connection to engineering. Advances in artificial intelligence and other transformative computing technologies continue to redefine how engineering research and education are conducted, while engineering innovations are critical to advancing computing and managing its resource demands. This renaming reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of these interconnected disciplines.
Looking Ahead
As we enter 2025, we celebrate our School’s 50th anniversary, honoring our rich history and envisioning a brighter future. With the conclusion of our current strategic plan, Vision to 2025, we will craft an ambitious new strategy for the next five years, aligned with Rice’s university-wide plan. Key priorities will include implementing a new budget model, addressing critical needs for research and educational spaces, launching innovative programs, and strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier faculty.
A Time of Gratitude
In closing, I want to thank each of you for your contributions to our School’s success. Whether you are a faculty member advancing the boundaries of knowledge, a staff member ensuring the seamless operation of our programs, a student striving to learn and innovate, or an alumnus championing our mission, you are an integral part of our community.
I also extend my gratitude to our university leadership for their unwavering support, the Engineering Advisory Board for their guidance, and the Rice Engineering Alumni Board for their partnership in fostering a vibrant community. Lastly, I thank the Dean’s Office staff for their professionalism and commitment to leading the largest school on campus with excellence. As we step into 2025, I am confident that together we will continue to achieve remarkable things.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a wonderful start to the new year.
The Message from the Dean of Engineering and Computing at Rice University is published quarterly during the academic year, and is shared with our students, faculty, staff and friends.